Container cover and carrying device



June 20, 1950 C. T. JACKSON CONTAINER COVER AND CARRYING DEVICE 2-Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 1'7, 1948 INVENTOR.

. JA @14 N v [QM ATTORNEYS CBRLTON June 20, 1950 c. 1-. JACKSON conmm COVER AND CARRYING DEVICE Filed Dec. 17, 1948 6 2 RW a in me QM m J M w O by. mm C 2 NEE Q w Patented June 20, 1950 CUN'TK IN ER' COVER" AND CARRYING DEVICE fiarlton mz Jackson; Conesus. N. Ya, assignontm Lenco Corporation, Rochester, N. 2., a. corporation of New York- Application December" 17, 1948; Serial No. 65303 or FiCE' Thisinvention. relatesto vessels and closing and lifting covers thereior:

It is a general: otijee't of tha present inventionto provide a novelr and improved." combination vessel and: cover; thelatten being provided: with engaging and clamping? means-* for? securing; the

Another iliipirtanfl feature. of the invention resides iri the provision of a ves'seliand cover'for the-same, together with alriandle. and clampingv means toggied to the -latter and! guided? at one ei'id thereof soas-to engage therrim'ot the vessel and connect the parts: together while clamping a sealing gasket hetween them.

Other and fur-therfeatures' and objectsof theinvention will be more apparent to those skilled in the art upon a consideration of: the accom' pany'ing drawing and following specification, wherein is disclosed a single. exemplary embodi nieht; with-theunderstanding that such changes and modifications may beimade th'erein as-iall within the-scope of the appended claims'without departing from the spirit of the invention.-v

In said" drawings:

Fig. 1 i satop plan viewofza'vesseltand applied cover constructed in accordance with the present invention*,

Fig. 2 is'a side elevation partly in vertical-central section; illustrating the -assembledvessel and cover with the-"liftingv handle propped in cover clamping position Fig. 3 is a" fragmentaryvertical section taken online' 33 of Fig. 1 and illustratingthe handle lever, linkage, rollers and handle: prop in the cover clamping position;

Fig 4 is-a: view similart'o Fig. 3 but-illustrating theparts in cover releasing position;

Fig. 5 is'a fragmentary bottom planview oi the assembled vessel and cover showing the rim engaging rollers in clamping position; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary left end elevationof the lever hinging and camming portion of the cover;

The present-invention deals particularly; with vessels; covers and attaching means. The invention 'is' primarily directed toward a vessel of the bed-pan typaeitherr for use in the: customary n manner orior mountingin a chair commode. such for instance as: illustratedin my copending. application SeriallNo;19 ,614;.filed April 7, 1948,v wherein the majorportion 0f 1 the vessel passes through an opening inthecommode top and'an voutwardly turned-rim or flange rests onthe surfacesof' the top toprevent the. vessel from"v passing therethrough. When the-patient has used theeornmode it 'is-desirahle for an attendantto be'able tov quickly. cover: the: bed pan or-vessel ;;in;an air: and liquid tight manner and lift and carry-thesame by the-cover handle for disposal.

In accordance .vvith the present invention a a 00- operating cover is arranged" having ahandle WhiChfmOVSS-VGI'tiCaHY toward or fr0m the cover; This handle is used to position-the cover on the vessel, engage-'theS-parts and clamp, the twotogather. When usedto carry theassembled tight clamping'ofthe gasketibetween the two elements is effected; ,byn-themere effort of carrying; Means is" provided whereby the assembly maybe.- set down and the handle maintained in cover clampingposition.

Referring; now to the drawing; andfirst to Figs.

1 and.2-;t thereisdllustrated a: relatively deepvessel: l i! fortheipurposedescribed having a flat bot-- tom. It and more: or lessvertical integral sides I2 whoseoonfiguration is suitable suchas shown for instance in Figs 1-. A flatssurfaced integral rimor flange: l4 extends outfrom-the upper edge. oi the: sidesland'surroundsithe Whole vessel. At

therrighthandor w-ideend, as shown in Figs. 1 and,2,- the flange is somewhat enlarged as-at l5 and providedwith spacedperiorations iii-of rectangular form; At the opposite: or narrow end the or flangehasitsundersurface inclined at ll to-provide a tapered or wedge like-portion for engagement, by clamping rollersto be later described A=simi1ar1y shapedcover 2-9 is provided for co operation with the vessel and includes a. plane peripheral area zlfon cooperationwith the rim- M-a-ndm central: depressed: area 22 more or less elliptical in shape to accommodate the fingerswhen grasping the lowered handle. Forthe most. partof its perimeter. the cover is. provided with askirt 23= adapted-to extend down: over the edge of the rim i4: toiprevent relative lateral movement between 1 the two parts. Where the ex--.

tended flange. I5 :is providedthis-skirt is cut away,

as 'clearly seen in Fig. 2. A pair ofoutwardlycurved and tapered prongs 25 depend from the cut away portion of the skirt and are pointed transversely as at 26 and properly spaced and sized to pass through the openings l6 when the lid is presented to the vessel inclined at an angle 40 to 60 degrees or more.

Secured to the under side of the plane peripheral area of the cover and substantially adjacent the skirt is the hollow tubular gasket 28 of resilient material adapted to be slightly compressed to form a tight seal between the cover and the rim of the vessel. The hinge construction is such that as the lid closes by its own weight a considerable portion of the gasket is compressed.

In order to facilitate handling the cover and for using it to lift and carry the vessel a handle 30 is positioned just above the depressed area 22 in the cover and is movable toward and from this depression. The handle is formed of plastic or the like and is elongated, provided on the under surface with serrations 3| for finger grips and an extended thumb pressure pad 32. A fiat metal lever 33 supports the handle and extends'through the same longitudinally having the free end 34 extending slightly beyond the end of the handle to contact with the end wall or bottom of the depression 22 to limit the downward movement and hold the handle suficiently elevated so the fingers may readily pass beneath it.

The normal position of the handle is centrally above the mass of the assembly for balance and convenience in one hand carrying.

The lever 33 is curved upwardly from and articulated to the cover near its narrow end by means of a pair of duplicate short links 35, one on either side of the lever and pivoted thereto by a pin 36, the lever being vertically widened adjacent the point of attachment as clearly seen in Figs. 3 and 4. When the handle is in its lowermost position the links 35 are substantially horizontal, as seen in Fig. 4, and their inner ends facing the cover hinge are pivoted on the pin 36 which passes transversely through openings 31 in a preferably integral protuberance 38 extending longitudinally of the cover at the narrow end thereof.

This protuberance is of streamlined form, wider at the inner end than at the outer or nose end 40, which extends over and beyond the skirt and cover end, as clearly seen in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. Its under surface is fiat as at 4| and co-extensive with the skirt bottom. To provide clearance for the lever 33 a. central slot 43 is cut entirely through the nose portion 40 and extends longitudinally through most of the remainder of the protuberance having a horizontal bottom 44 elevated only slightly above the plane of the cover periphery 2| and then curved up as shown at 45 to meet the top surface of the protuberance. On each side of this slot are a pair of slightly narrower parallel slots 46 which merge with the central slot at places. These slots have flat horizontal bottom walls 4! extending to the inner end of the protuberance 38 and their outer ends curve upwardly as at 49. They house the links 35 when they are folded down into the position shown in Fig. 4, while the central slot accommodates and guides the curved outer end 50 of the lever 33.

This end is bent around the cover edge and rim at this same end. so it may be said that the under surface of this rim and the top portion 5| of the protuberance together form a wedge-like structure.

The tip of the curved end 50 of the lever 33 has arranged on its opposite faces a pair of small diameter rollers 55 on a pivot 56. These rollers are so positioned; by the lever when the handle is in its lowermost position and the links 35 substantially horizontal that they rest just beneath the surface 4| and are outside of the periphery of the tapered rim portion IT, as clearly seen in Fig. 4. This permits the cover to be placed in position with no interference from these rollers as long as the handle is in lowered position.

If the handle is now lifted, with the thumb placed on the pad 32 two simultaneous actions take place; the links 35 rotate clockwise about their pivot 36 in a toggle action drawing the whole of the vessel and passes through the slot in the v nose portion 40. The upper surface of the pro--' of lever and handle assembly toward the vessel cover in a more or less longitudinal direction; at the same time there is some counterclockwise rotation of the lever about the pivot 36 connecting it to'the links 35. These combined motions project the rollers 55 to a position beneath the inclined portion I! of the rim, both forcing the rollers 55 to the right and raising them for:

close engagement under this sloping portion of the rim to draw down the cover and compres the whole of the gasket. i

To aid in this clamping action and to get a more complete compression of that portion of the gasket at the locking lever end of the cover, a second pair of rollers 51 is secured by pivot 58 one on either side of the lever 33 just at the beginning of the bend in the end thereof. These rollers cooperate with the sloping surface 5| of the protuberance 38 so that any movement of the lever assembly toward the right pinches the wedge formed by surfaces 5| and 11 between rollers 55--5'| to more tightly clamp the cover of the vessel rim. After a few attempts the operator will learn the necessary manipulation of the handle toachieve theassembly of cover and vessel and locking of the cover to the vessel so that the parts may be assembled and the whole picked up and carried by one hand. Furthermore, the rollers act as a sort of fulcrum for the lever 33.

If it is desired to set the vessel down without loosening the cover, the handle may be maintained in its raised position by the prop 60, comprising a. sheet metal member pivoted at 6| to the lever and having a hollowed end 62 to rest on the top of oneof the links 35 to prevent the handle from dropping." The prop 60 has an integral trigger 63 which is conveniently positioned beneath the lever for access by the index finger when gripping the handle 30. A stop pin 64 limits movement by action of the trigger to insure proper positioning of prop 60. To release the prop, the weight of the vessel is sustained by lifting on the handle and pushing down on the trigger 63 until the prop 60 moves from link-engage-- ment and contacts its stop pin 65. The handle can now be lowered toward the recess 22 and the lid tilted by proper manipulation of the handle around its hinge prongs 25 and removed.

It will thus be seen that a very convenient arrangement is provided for one handed manipulation, including application and clamping of the cover, carrying the whole assembly and releas- I ing of the cover.

I claim:

1. The combination with a vessel having an outturned rim flange, of a cover adapted to overlie said flange, a sealing gasket secured to said cover so as to engage said flange, interlocking means on said flange and cover forming a separable hinge, a lifting handle for said vessel positioned above the center of the cover, a lever mounting said handle for vertical movement toward and from the cover, a linkage connecting said lever to said cover so as to cause the free end of the lever to project beyond the flange opposite the hinge, and a roller on the projecting part of said lever to engage beneath the said flange when the handle is lifted to thereby compress the gasket between the flange and cover.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which said lever free end is downwardly and inwardly curved to support the roller for engagement beneath the flange.

3. The combination with a vessel having an outturned rim flange, of a cover adapted to overlie said flange, a sealing gasket secured to said cover so as to engage said flange to seal the joint between the parts, interengaging means on said flange and cover forming a separable hinge arranged to compress the gasket as the cover is hinged closed, a horizontally disposed elongated lifting handle for said vessel positioned generally above the center of the cover, a lever fixed to said handle and mounting the same for vertical movement toward and from the cover, a link connecting said lever to said cover near the edge opposite the hinge, the lever beyond the link curling over the edge of the cover, a roller on the end of said lever positioned to pass over the flange edge as the lid is lowered with the handle in its downward position, said link being so arranged as to draw the roller beneath the flange as the handle is lifted.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 3 in which a second roller is mounted on said lever and a wedge on the cover cooperates therewith to clamp the gasket tightly opposite the hinge as the vessel is lifted by the said handle.

5. The combination with a bed-pan like receptacle having a rim flange, of a cover adapted to cooperate with and overlie said flange to compress a sealing gasket therebetween, cooperating means on said flange and cover forming a separable hinge, a lifting handle positioned above the cover, a lever secured to said handle, extending longitudinally therefrom and having a free end curved about the cover edge, a link pivoted to said cover inwardly of the edge thereof and projecting toward said edge, a pivot connecting the free end of said link to the said lever between the handle and curved end, a roller on the free end of said lever to engage beneath the flange 6 when the handle is lifted and the link moves the lever bodily in the direction of the hinge.

6. The combination as defined in claim 5 in which the flange is inclined on its under surface where engaged by the roller to increase the clamping effect and tighten the cover on the gasket.

7. The combination as defined in claim 6 in which a second roller is provided on the lever between the pivot for the link and the curved portion, and an inclined surface on the cover cooperating with the second roller to improve the clamping action.

8. A bed-pan type of vessel for commode mounting having an outturned supporting rim, 2. cover for said vessel having a flat peripheral area to overlie said rim, a sealing gasket secured to said cover area so as to engage said rim, means on said flange and cover for engagement to form a separable hinge, said rim opposite the hinge having an outwardly tapering portion, a lifting handle for said vessel, a lever extending longitudinally from said handle, means hinging said lever near the edge of the cover opposite the hinge mounting the handle for movement toward and from the cover, said hinge means comprising a link pivoted to the cover and directed away from the cover hinge, a pivot connecting the opposite end of the link to said lever, a portion of said lever extending beyond said pivot and being curved downwardly, a roller on the end of the curved portion of the lever positioned below the level of the edge of the tapered portion of the rim in any position of the handle and beyond the edge of said rim when the handle is lowered, said link serving to move the lever and roller toward the cover hinge when the handle is lifted so as to engage the inclined area of the rim and compress the gasket.

9. The combination claimed in claim 8 in which said link and lever are guided in slots in a hinge protuberance on the lid, an inclined surface on said protuberance directed opposite to the rim incline and a second roller on said lever engaging said inclined surface to draw the cover and vessel together to compress the gasket.

19. The combination as claimed in claim 9 in which a prop is hinged to the lever to engage the hinged end of the link to hold the lever in a raised position, and an operating trigger for said prop positioned for actuation by a finger of the hand grasping the handle.

CARLTON T. JACKSON.

No references cited. 

